Nauru

Republic of Nauru

republic

Nauru as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 83 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

Capitalno official capital

Position0 32 S, 166 55 E

Area21 sq km

LocationOceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the

Populationas each edition published it

10,273 people July 1996 est. · 9,202 in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.33% 1996 est. · 1.42% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 19.6 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

66.68 years 1996 est. · 66.68 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.08 children per woman 1996 est. · 2.3 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

40.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 41 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$10,000 1993 est. · $10,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 8% in 2015

Geography

Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the | Marshall Islands

15 fields

Land useshare of 21 sq km

forest and woodland 0%other 100%arable land 0% in all · permanent crops 0% in all · meadows and pastures 0% in all

Area

21sq km

land area: 21 sq kmcomparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline

30km

land boundaries: 0 kmexclusive fishing zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Location

Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands

Climate

tropical;
monsoonal;
rainy season (November to February)

Terrain

sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center

lowest point:: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m

Environment

current issues:: limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater; phosphate mining threatens limited remaining land resources
natural hazards:: periodic droughts
international agreements:: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Marine Dumping; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Geographic note

Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia; only 53 km south of Equator

People

15 fields

Population

10,273

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 1.33% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

18.03Death

5.1Net migration

0.4

Ethnic divisions

Nauruan 58%other Pacific Islander 26%Chinese 8%European 8%

Age structure

0-14 years:: NA
15-64 years:: NA
65 years and over:: NA

Sex ratio

at birth:: NA male(s)/female
under 15 years:: NA male(s)/female
15-64 years:: NA male(s)/female
65 years and over:: NA male(s)/female
all ages:: NA male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate

40.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 66.68 years
male:: 64.3 years
female:: 69.18 years (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Nauruan(s)
adjective:: Nauruan

Religions

Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)

Languages

Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes

Government

Republic

19 fields

Legislature, 18 seatsone dot, one seat

independents 18

Name of country

conventional long form:: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form:: Nauru
former:: Pleasant Island

Capital

no official capital; government offices in Yaren District

Administrative divisions

14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren

Independence

31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, New Zealand-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)

Legal system

acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government:: President Lagumot HARRIS (since 22 November 1995) was elected by Parliament; election last held 18 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1998)
cabinet:: Cabinet was appointed by the president from among members of Parliament

Parliament

election last held 18 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1998);
results - percent of vote NA;
seats - (18 total) independents 18

International organization participation

AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation in US

Nauru does not have an embassy in the US

US diplomatic representation

the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru

Flag

blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side;
the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru

Economy

Revenues come from the export of phosphates, | the reserves of which are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. | Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes | in the Third World.

20 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$10,000

(1993 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

-3.6%

(1993)

Unemployment rate

External debt

$33.3million

Budget

Revenues

$23.8 millionExpenditures

$69.2 million

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93)

Installed generating capacity, 14,000 kW

Electricity production

30 millionElectricity consumption per capita

3,036 (1993)

Economic overview

Revenues come from the export of phosphates, the reserves of which are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World. Few other resources exist, so most necessities must be imported, including fresh water from Australia.

The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. Substantial amounts of phosphate income are invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition. However, dividends from the trusts have declined sharply since 1990 and the government has been borrowing from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $100 million (1993 est.)

GDP real growth rate

NA%

GDP composition by sector

agriculture:: NA%
industry:: NA%
services:: NA%

Labor force

by occupation: NA

Industries

phosphate mining, financial services, coconut products

Agriculture

coconuts predominate

Exports

$25.3 million (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities:: phosphates
partners:: Australia, NZ

Imports

$21.1 million (c.i.f., 1991)

commodities:: food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery
partners:: Australia, UK, NZ, Japan

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency

1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3477 (January 1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2834 (1991)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Transportation

5 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 1 in all

1 524 to 2 437 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

27Railways

3.9

Highways: paved: 21 km · unpaved: 6 km (1986 est.) · Railways: ; note - used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast